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Saturday, 18 May 2013

LG Google TVs to get Android 4.2.2 update in Q3

After Google announced that it is updating the Google TV platform to Android 4.2.2 and bringing it in sync with the normal Android release, LG has now confirmed that its Google TVs will get the update in third quarter.

The company was not any more specific than Q3, so we will just have to wait and watch. The Korean manufacturer has however shared some details on this update, which were surprisingly missing from the Google’s little note about the update on Google+.

According to LG, with Android 4.2.2 update, Google TVs will support more applications, including games that provide a greater level of interactivity and advanced graphics.

As, Google revealed in a Google TV session at I/O, Google TV platform will no longer be a fork of Android and will be like normal Android release. LG has confirmed the same this in its press note, which states that the latest Jelly Bean update for Google TV supports the Android Native Development Kit (NDK) so Google TV owners can have the widest, most diverse selection of apps to choose from. Smartphone apps designed using the NDK will run on Google TV with little to no modifications. With NDK compatibility, users can now play more games on a bigger LG Google TV screen.

In simpler words, from now on any apps developed using the Android NDK will work just fine on Google TV devices, no longer the need for dedicated apps for Google TV; developers have to just keep in mind that their apps look decent on a 32-inch or 54-inch television screen.

Coming to LG specific Google TV update, according to LG, the upcoming update will also bring LG’s patented 3D Game Changer to its Google TVs. “Changer produces a fully immersive effect by displaying 2D games in enhanced 3D mode, for an effect previously available only in movies filmed with 3D equipment,” LG noted in a press release.

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update will be released as an over-the-air (OTA) download for existing LG Google TVs. It will reach USA in Q3, as we noted above.